On October 2, 2018, at the invitation of the Institute of Korean Studies of the Free University of Berlin, Korea Foundation (KF) President Lee Sihyung attended a ceremony to celebrate the opening of the relocated and expanded Institute, headed by Professor Lee Eun-jeung.

The ceremony was also attended by about 200 guests and relevant figures including Chung Beom-ku, South Korean Ambassador to Germany; Pak Nam-yong, North Korean Ambassador to Germany; Han Myeong-sook, former South Korean Prime Minister; Uwe Schmelter, President, Germany-Korea Friendship Association; Ing Andrea Boer, Provost, Free University of Berlin; and Nobert Bass, former German Ambassador to South Korea.

The ceremony began with a sangnyangsik, a ridge beam-raising ceremony, at the new traditional Korean-style pavilion in the front yard of the Institute. The pavilion is a reproduction of a water pavilion at the Bongeunsa Buddhist temple, called Nalmulgot, with the sangyangsik ceremony showcasing the traditional beauty of Korea. Making the most of the spacious new building, the Institute plans to create a Korean-style reception room known as a sarangbang to further present the beauty of Korea to the people of Berlin.

In his congratulatory remarks at the ceremony, President Lee offered words of encouragement and shared his hope that that Institute would further strengthen education and research on Korean Studies and foster Korean Studies scholars on an ongoing basis.

The Free University of Berlin boasts one of Germany’s foremost Korean Studies programs, and is especially active in the field of social sciences. The KF has been implementing exchange and cooperation with the Free University of Berlin in various ways since 2004 when it first dispatched a visiting professor of Korean Studies to the University.